Betrayed Secrets
by FeatherAngel
Summary: It's been a month since Rinoa and Seifer's disappearance. In everyone's eyes, Rinoa has betrayed Squall. Is that really the story though? Or is there a secret behind it all?
1. Remembering

  
  


Author's note: I have been having a writer's block for a month! I've been thinking alot lately, and I've finally thought of a topic to write on. Please R&R, thank you =) 

Disclaimer: I do not own ff8 and it's characters, they belong to Squaresoft :(   
  


**Betrayed Secrets**   


It had been a month. A month since Rinoa's disappearance, a month since Squall's heart broke, and a month since everyone was shocked. Not to mention, it had also been a month since Seifer's disappearance. To everyone's eyes, Rinoa had betrayed Squall.   


The sun was setting, and the sky was a glorious pink and blue. To Squall, it looked like blood, spilled out on a white piece of paper. Staining it forever, leaving its marks, never to be cleaned off, and the white piece of paper would always be stained.   


_That's what Rinoa did._   


The boy shut his eyes, and reopened them. Hoping to see a whole new world, or just to wake up from a horrible nightmare. But no, he didn't wake up from some nightmare, it was reality, and that was that.   


He walked over to his desk, a pile of paper work waited. He wanted to leave Garden, away from his life and away from the pain and work.   


_Running away, like a coward._   


Squall slammed his fist on the desk, rustling the silent papers. He sat down, his back faced the door.   


"Squall?"   


He sighed, it was a familiar voice. A voice he had known since childhood, the voice of Quistis Trepe.   


"What?!" 

"I just wanted to see if you were ok..." 

"I'm fine." 

"...You don't seem like it..." 

"Just go away, I need to think." 

"You've been thinking far to long Squall! You don't need a month to think. You can't waste your whole life sitting hear, thinking and hoping that what happened a month ago wasn't true!" 

"I am not thinking about that!" 

"You're trying to run Squall. You're trying to run from the truth." 

Squall spun around from his chair. Quistis noticed that he looked tired. Tired of himself, tired of his life. "Please, leave me alone." 

Quistis sighed, her sapphire eyes fell with disappointment, and she left. Squall was alone again.   
  


*flashback* 

The door opened slowly. 

"Rinoa? Sorry that I was late...." He stopped in his tracks, his face turning red with fury. 

"Squall?? No Squall! It's not what you think!!" Rinoa pulled her blankets around her. 

Seifer was smirking as he watched his rival boil with anger. "Why Squall! I see you've come to join us? But I'm so sorry, I don't think there's any more room on the bed for you!" 

Rinoa glared at Seifer. "Shut up Seifer! Don't listen to him Squall! He's..." 

Seifer gave Rinoa a glare, and she shrank back against the bed post. 

"What Rinoa means, is that I am telling the truth," Seifer laughed. 

Squall still didn't move. But he could feel his hand going for his gunblade, and raising it above the two people on the bed. He glared down at them coldly. 

"How could you Rinoa?" He said it without emotion, flat and cold. "How could you?!" 

"I...I..." 

He swung his gunblade down, cutting some fabric off the blanket that Rinoa held tightly. "And Seifer, you... you" 

"Wordless eh Squall?" Seifer threw his head back in laughter, Squall drew his gunblade to Seifer's throat. 

"You two better get out of here now." He hissed in front of his rival's mocking face. "Before I kill both of you." He glanced at Rinoa's direction, his eyes burning into her's. 

And he stormed out of the room. 

*end of flashback*   


Squall turned around in his chair once again, to look out at the sky. The sun was gone now, and the moon now shone down upon the ground.   
  


It was dark in the tiny hotel room in Deling. A girl sat on the bed, hugging her knees tightly for comfort. She looked out the window, something she loved to do. But it wasn't the same, without _him_.   


The door opened and a bit of light poured into the room. The girl didn't turn to look at who it was, if she did, she would surely want to bite at him.   


"I'm so glad you stayed put today! You use to be so much of a bother _honey_." The man smirked and walked into the room, turning on the lights.   


The girl covered her eyes from the sudden blinding light. "Go away." Her voice trembled.   


The man pretended not to hear, and sat down on the bed beside her. His hand went to her cheek, and traced the bruise on it. She shivered at his touch, and shrank back.   


The man grabbed her by the wrist, and brought his face in front of her's. "You should be use to it by now _sweetie_. And more wouldn't hurt." He spat out the words sweetie, and kissed the girl.   


She bit his lip. "Leave me alone!!"   


He glared at her, and ignored her protests. "You better coperate if you don't want anybody to be hurt. Espeically if you don't want _him_ to be hurt."   


He unbottoned the girl's shirt, and she did not fight back.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. Running

  
  


Disclaimer: I do not own ff8 and it's characters, they belong to Squaresoft :( 

**Betrayed Secrets**   


Zell felt happy today. It was for no reason, but it seemed like a brighter day. 

"Hey Quisty!" 

Qusitis joined him at his table in the cafeteria, and starred at his pyramid of hotdogs. "They let you have that many hotdogs?" 

"Of course! I'm their best customer," Zell grinned. "So how's Squall?" 

"...Silent....Cold....Mean...." She listed off her fingers, and gave a deep sigh. 

"Aw man! That doesn't sound to good." Zell stuffed a hot dog into his mouth. "...Do you really think Rinoa would do such a thing?" He said in a lower voice. 

Quistis was silent for a while, holding her cup of orange juice infront of her mouth. "...I'm not sure..." 

"Oh come on! It's Rinoa we're talking about! We know her the best, including Selphie and everyone of course." 

"Yes... I guess that's true." Quistis looked up at the ceiling in deep thought. 

"I know Rinoa pretty well, and I could never imagine her ya know doing it with Seifer." Quistis nodded to Zell's statement. 

"I agree on that..." 

"On what?!" Selphie landed into a seat beside Zell. "What are you guys talking about?" 

"Rinoa." 

"...oh..." Selphie frowned a bit. "Is Squall ok?" 

"Not really..." 

"We were talking about if Rinoa would really do such a thing." Zell looked down at his hot dogs, and for once, he seemed to have lost his appetite. "Do you think there's some explanation to this?" 

"Whoa Zell, you're in a weird mood today! You're into long words eh?" Selphie giggled as Zell looked insulted. "I'm only joking!!" 

"Maybe there is a explanation to this." 

Zell sighed, and felt his day was turning into a confusing mess.   
  
  


Squall began working again, which was good news to other people in Garden, but it was odd news to his friends. But he couldn't concentrate. 

_Where did my pen go? _He opened his top drawer, and fumbled around in it. He felt a loose piece of stiff paper. He pulled it out, and noticed that it wasn't a piece of paper.   


It was a photo of Rinoa and Angelo sitting on a bench. She was smiling brightly, and Angelo... well, you could say that he was also smiling to.   


Squall starred at the picture for a moment, then felt the anger rising once again. 

_Bitch, whore, get out of my life!!! Why do you appear everywhere?! _He reached for the lighter that was in his drawer, and lighted the left hand corner of the photo.   


He watched it burn, and slowly curl up. He watched the photo burn into pieces, he watched his Rinoa burn, and he watched his heart burn into pieces.   
  


The girl awoke slowly. She felt dizzy, and she couldn't remember what had happened last night. She glanced at the pile of her clothes on the floor. Maybe she did know what happened, and she cried silently.   


She felt like a ragged doll. All old and used up and worn.   


She stood up, and winced at the pain in her left leg. There was a fresh new cut there, adding to her collection of cuts. She gathered her clothes, and walked into the washroom.   


The shower didn't help much. She still felt dirty, and sick in her stomach. She looked at her horrid reflection with the tangled masses of hair that use to be straight and a shiny raven black. It was dull now, the shine had disappeared.   


Her eyes were tired, and heavy bags showed. Her eyes seemed hollow, and drained out. Around it was a puffy red circle, she rubbed her eyes slowly. It was sore from crying.   


Her face was paler than ever. But now, she didn't care about her looks anymore. What was the use of beauty for her now? She was nothing but a ragged doll, unloved, but used for amusement.   


_I am weak! I hate myself for that. I am sorcerress, a sorceress that doens't even know how to use her own powers!_ She was angry at herself. _I don't even know how to get my powers to work... I'm pathetic..._   


"Rinoa, you're pathetic!" The man came into the washroom, and looked down at the sobbing form. 

She laughed, and the man starred at her as if she was crazy. 

"You know what Seifer? That's the first thing I've heard from you that is actually senseable." She got up, and wiped away her tears. "You should stop bugging me Seifer. I have nothing left for you." 

Seifer laughed, and it was Rinoa's turn to stare at him. "Of course you have nothing to get that is worth something. But, you are something I _have_. Something that Squall doesn't _have_. And that just makes me happy!" He laughed again. 

"You're crazy Seifer Almasy!" 

He grabbed her by her wrist, and yanked her infront of him. "I dont' care if I'm crazy. At least I am strong, unlike you. You are weak Rinoa." 

He let go of her, and she fell onto the tiled floor. She felt defeated, but at the same time, she felt that Seifer was right.   


She slowly stood up, her feet wobling.   


"I'm going out, and you better not try to leave. You know what I can do Rinoa." She heard him laughing all the way down the hall. 

She reached for a long black coat on the coat hanger. She needed clothing that covered her arms and legs, so her cuts wouldn't show. She didn't care who the coat belonged to.   


She slipped on long black pants, and tried to brush out her hair. But it was to tangled to care to, so she left it tangled. 

_I'm going to run away from this dreaded place. I will make it out of here. _Rinoa took a last look at her reflection. There was no way she could hide the cuts and bruises on her face.   


She stepped out in the dimly lighted hallway. _But what will happen to Squall?_ She remembered Seifer's threat. If she left, he would hurt Squall. _No, Squall will be ok... he has to be. He can fight, and he has friends to help him fight. He will make it... Seifer won't be able to hurt him.... _She ran down the hallway, refusing to think of anything.   
  
  


Author's note: Erm, so do you like it so far? I think my writer's block is coming back >. Well please read and review, thank you ;)   
  



	3. Searching

  
  


Disclaimer: I do not own ff8 and it's characters, they belong to Squaresoft :( 

**Betrayed Secrets**   
**** ****

People were starring at her, as if she was monster. 

_They must be thinking why a girl like me is walking down the streets all alone at this late at night... with cuts and bruises. _She sighed, and pulled the jacket closer around her.   


Rinoa looked around her, Deling was a familiart place to her. _Where am I going to go? _Her eyes gazed down the road, the direction to her house.   


She shook her head. _No, I will not go home. Not like this._   
__ __

"Miss? Are you alright?" 

Rinoa turned and saw a women with hazel eyes. "I'm fine thank you." 

The women left with a little nod. 

Rinoa looked beyond the women and gasped as she saw the white trenchcoat of Seifer. He was running down the street towards her, his face was red with anger. She started running, even though it was very fast, she still ran.   


She rounded a corner, and she noticed that she hadn't gone very far from the hotel. _How stupid!_ She winced in pain at her leg, and nearly tripped on a bump on the sidewalk. She looked over her shoulder and her eyes widened in fear at how close Seifer was.   


She ran frantically down the sidewalk. No one seemed to be around this street, it was just a silent neighborhood area. Rinoa cried out in pain as she twisted her ankle and fell onto the cement.   


She looked above her, and Seifer stood there, panting and furious. 

"I told you not to go anywhere! You bitch!" He grabbed her by the hair and yanked her into a standing position. 

Rinoa yelped at the pain from her ankle. Seifer let go of her hair, and looked around them to make sure no one saw there. He glared at the girl and led her to the back alleys to get back to the hotel.   


"You won't like it when we get there Rinoa." He grunted. "I have to teach you that you listen to my words."   
  
  


Selphie, Irvine, Zell, and Quistis sat around in Selphie's room. 

"I think we have to find Rinoa to know the truth of all this." Selphie sighed. "Which will kinda be hard." 

"Yeah, without Squall noticing." Zell added. 

"Well, I heard Xu say that Squall has alot of work tomorrow, so he probably will be in his office all day. Not like he even comes out anyways." Quistis starred around at her friends. 

Irvine nodded,"Where do we start looking?" 

"How about Timber? And then Deling? Since Rinoa has friends in Timber, and Deling is where her father lives." Zell suggested, and waited for agreement. 

Everyone nodded. "But, how about Seifer?" 

"If it's true that Rinoa did it with Seifer, then Seifer will probably be around her. But let's no worry about him. We have to find Rinoa and find the truth!" Selphie jumped off her bed. "And we'll find her!"   
  


The sun rose, making the grass glisten from it's morning dew. Rinoa shivered, but she didn't move. 

Her eyes were still wide with horror, as she watched her own blood flow from her wounds. Last night, Seifer had bruised her face even more, and had given her even more cuts. Her ankle still ached in pain from the fall, but she was glad that Seifer was no where to be seen.   


She held onto the wall for support, and stood up slowly. She limped her way to the door. 

_I don't care anymore. I just want to be somewhere else! _She opened the door, and limped down that same hallway she had done yesterday. _If I have to go down this hallway a hundred times to get out, I'll do it._   
__   
__ __

"Ppppst! Zell! You in there?" Selphie knocked lightly on her friend's door. 

He opened it shortly afterwards, and grinned. "I'm ready. Where's Quistis and Irvine?" 

"Irvine is down the hallway waiting for us, and Quistis is at the front gate. We have to be quiet, cause everyone is still sleeping." 

They crept out, joined by Irvine, to the front gate. Quistis nodded, and they all got into the car, and drove towards Timber.   
  


Squall awoke an hour later after Quistis, Zell, Irvine, and Selphie's departure. He groaned and got up to go to his office. 

He walked slowly, and stopped. He glanced at the dorm door, room 678. That was Rinoa's. He forced his eyes away, but his hand went to the knob. He turned it slowly, and opened the door.   


The room was stuffy, since the windows had not be opened for a long time. Nobody had entered the room since the last time he had stepped in.   


Squall glanced at the blanket, with the little bit of fabric gone. It was still on the bed, in a curled up ball. He felt angry, but at the same time, he longed to see his angel again. But then there was his angry side, boiling over him, and making him build that wall around himself to block himself from everyone outside of it.   


Squall looked at the desk, which was lightly covered with a bit of dust. On it, was Rinoa's necklace. Squall reached for it, then pulled himself back from it.   


_She betrayed me._   
__ __

Squall clenched his fists together, but something caught his eye. A scarp of paper under the chair. 

He bent down, and picked it up. 

**Help me**   
**** ****

The two words in black ink yelled back at him. He frowned in confusion. The words were in Rinoa's writing, but why did she write _help me_.   


Squall placed the piece of paper in his pocket. And left the room, his mind confused by his thoughts.   
  


Quistis sighed. "Ok, we're here in Deling. If she isn't here, then I don't see how we're going to find her." 

"Timber wasn't any help, let's just hope that we're in luck," Selphie jumped out of the car. 

Zell slowly got out. "I hate car drives. I get car sick you know." 

They laughed, but they quickly entered the city with the afternoon sun blazing down upon them. 

"Should we check the mansion?" Irvine asked. 

"Do you think she would go to her father?" 

"Not very likely... but if she was desperate, we never know!" Selphie shrugged. 

They walked down the busy streets, and into the shopping destrict. Zell yawned as Selphie stuck a stuffed teddy bear in front of his face. "Isn't this guy cute?! I wish I brought gil with me, but I didn't!" 

"Selphie, we aren't here to shop," Quistis reminded. 

Zell shoved the teddy bear aside when a figure caught his eye. They person was a block down, but Zell could tell that it was a girl. A girl dressed in black who was leaning against a brick wall. 

"Hey guys.... I think that's Rinoa!" Zell started running down towards her, his friends following close behind. 

The girl turned to their direction, her wide eyes starred back at them. When saw them, her eyes grew even wider. 

"Rinoa!!!" 

Rinoa heard her friends calling her name. Her vision blurred, but she could here them. They were getting closer and closer, and still calling her name. She felt dizzy, but she could still here the chant of her friends calling... calling to her. And then everything was black.   
  



	4. The Truth

  
  


Disclaimer: I do not own ff8 and it's characters, they belong to Squaresoft :( 

**Betrayed Secrets**   
**** ****

"Squall we found Rinoa." 

"So what?!" Squall yelled over the phone. 

There was silence for a few seconds, but Zell continued. "I think you should come. Because..." 

"There's no reason why I should come." He spat into the phone. 

"Squall, you can't go blaming Rinoa when you don't know the whole story!" 

"Well, do you know the whole story?" He said coldly. 

"...Well no. But when Rinoa wakes up, she'll tell us." 

"...Wake up?" 

"She fainted when she saw us. She looks bad Squall. I think there's more to this than you think. Come." Zell said it as a command, not a question. He waited for Squall's reply. 

"...Where are you?" 

"Deling Hospital."   
  
  


Rinoa was falling, deeper and deeper into an endless hole. She couldn't scream, and when she did, nothing came out. She felt the wind and her heart beating. 

_When will I stop falling?___

_Soon...___

_Who are you??___

_No one, just your thoughts...___

_Where am I??___

_No where, but in your thoughts...___

_What???___

_A dream..._   
__   
__ __

Squall found the room in the hospital, 216. He rode the elevator silently up, his hand in his pocket fidgeting with the piece of paper that had the words _help me _printed on it.   


The elevator door opened, and he walked down a hallway that seemed to be endless. 213, 214, 215, and he finally reached 216. He didn't want to turn the knob, but he did.   


All his friends were around a bed in the center of the room. He stepped closer, and saw the figure sleeping on the bed.   


_....Rinoa??___

"Rinoa??" He said out aloud. 

Everyone turned towards him, they hadn't notice him enter. 

Squall stepped closer. "Is that...Rinoa??" 

Quistis nodded, "Don't you reconize her Squall?!" 

"...I do... but she... she's different..." Squall didn't turn to talk to Quistis, but continued to stare at the pale girl on the bed. 

Rinoa's hands were tightly holding onto the blanket sheets, and her face showed of fear. "Seifer..." She mumbled in her sleep. 

Squall felt the anger again. "Seifer, Seifer, Seifer, damn it!" 

All his friends looked up at him in shock. 

"That's all she thinks about!" He spat. 

"Go away!!" Rinoa screamed. 

Zell jumped up in his seat. "Whoa!" 

"She's dreaming..." Irvine said. 

Squall unclenched his fists. The group was silent. 

"...I'm going to run away....." 

"Far away....." 

"But.........what about Squall??" 

The group looked over at Squall to see his reaction. He stood still as a stone, showing no emotion but a frown. 

"She's gone crazy." Squall said bitterly. "I don't care. She just sleeps with other people, and when she gets sick of them, she moves onto another." He spat. 

"Squall!" Quistis jumped from her seat. "For Hyne's sake Rinoa was your girlfriend! You can't talk about her like that!" 

"It's the truth." Squall said annoyingly. 

"He'll get hurt........ but he can protect himself...... I have to run..." Rinoa's sleeping form shook. 

Her eyes fluttered opened. She saw five pair of eyes starring down at her. One pair was starring at her coldly. 

Her eyes adjusted and she could tell that the people were Selphie, Zell, Quistis, Irvine, and... and Squall. She felt a sudden rush of relief. She was with her friends, she wasn't alone, Seifer wasn't around, she was safe! 

"Rinoa? Are you alright?" Selphie asked, patting her friend on the shoulder. 

Rinoa winced in pain. Selphie pulled back. "Oh, I'm sorry!!" 

Rinoa looked over at Selphie, and gave her a weak smile. "....That's ok...." 

Everyone noticed her voice was trembling, as if she was frightened. 

"...What happened Rinoa? Where did the cuts and bruises on your face come from??" Zell demanded. 

Rinoa shrank back, and looked at Squall. He was still starring at her coldly, she shrank farther into her blankets. 

"...Seifer...." 

She saw Squall's fist tighten. "Don't mention that name bitch!" 

Rinoa's mouth fell open. Irvine and Quistis both glared at Squall. 

Rinoa felt a tear go down her cheek, she quickly brushed it away. "Seifer... he raped me." 

Squall glared at her. "Nice excuse, but I saw you with him. And I didn't seem like you were unhappy about it!" 

"Squall, calm down!" Quistis said sternly. "Continue Rinoa..." 

"A week before Squall saw Seifer raping me, that was already the seventh time. He treathened that if I was to tell any of you, he would hurt Squall." Rinoa starred blankly at her friends. "After Squall found out, Seifer and I moved into a little hotel room in Deling." Rinoa's filled with tears, and anger. "Thirty days, do you know how long that is?! Thirty damn days of being used!" Rinoa broke down and started sobbing.   


Selphie came over to her, and gave her a hug. "Oh Rinoa.... I'm so sorry...." Selphie felt her own tears rolling down.   


Squall slowly went up beside Rinoa's bed. Everyone was quiet, except the sounds of crying. 

"...I'm.....I'm sorry...." 


End file.
